The rough-and-tumble Oscar race imprints a half dozen indelible lessons in Hollywood awards marketing. Going forward, expect rigorous scrubbing for social media accounts of heavily promoted talent and also pushing self-serving boundaries in defining supporting actor/actress. A Variety article by Clayton Davis notes that old but incendiary social media posts by actress Karla … [Read more...] about Takeaways From Topsy-Turvy Oscar Race
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H’wood Saturates Super Bowl Sans Film Ads
Just three film commercials ran in yesterday’s Super Bowl, which is U.S. TV's most expensive advertisement, though Hollywood celebrities and brands were omnipresent. Those pricey in-game spots were for “Thunderbolts,” “How to Train Your Dragon” (screen grab above) and “M3gan: 2.0," out of about 60 total spots. The usual range is four to 10 in-game movie commercials, which … [Read more...] about H’wood Saturates Super Bowl Sans Film Ads
Disney Star Ignites Political Storm
A Walt Disney Studios star imperils the marketplace reception of a reported $270 million film by taking a strong anti-Trump stand. It’s the worst nightmare of every film distributor, having the personal, off-camera conduct of talent ignite an extraneous controversy. “'May Trump supporters and Trump voters and Trump himself never know peace,” posted actress Rachel Zegler. … [Read more...] about Disney Star Ignites Political Storm
Offbeat Influencers Intrigue Publicists
Hollywood publicists invite fringe influencers to premieres and other PR events, apparently to tap their digital media followers who don’t frequent traditional media. There is a debate about the value of bringing unconventional media personalities inside the film-marketing tent. For example, in May, Disney’s 20th Century Fox picked up travel expenses for influencer Easton … [Read more...] about Offbeat Influencers Intrigue Publicists
Premiere Press Coverage Propels ‘It Ends’
Romantic comedy “It Ends With Us” is headed for a relatively big cinema premiere Friday, helped by buzz from its star-laden premiere. “It Ends,” whose star Blake Lively was catalyst for extensive media coverage of its premiere, is a PG-13 rom-com from Sony Pictures Releasing. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover. The gala Aug. 6 premiere at the … [Read more...] about Premiere Press Coverage Propels ‘It Ends’
‘Dune 2’ Blasts Off With Global PR Tour
Big-budget “Dune: Part Two” basks in the glow of copious good press after distributor Warner Bros. Pictures mounted an extensive six-country, whistle-stop publicity tour of talent. The “Dune 2” publicity parade made stops earlier this month at New York City, Mexico City, Paris, London, South Korea and Abu Dhabi. That press tour covered the world because each stop became a … [Read more...] about ‘Dune 2’ Blasts Off With Global PR Tour
‘Mean Girls’ Cast Leverages Social Clout
The casts of the two “Mean Girls” movies pack a wallop in social media, which was leveraged for a theatrical premiere this past weekend. The high-school satire musical opened Jan. 11-23 in cinemas to an estimated $28 million in domestic boxoffice (decent given horrible winter weather across the nation). The PG 13-rated film mixes in the cast of an identically titled movie … [Read more...] about ‘Mean Girls’ Cast Leverages Social Clout
Striking Actors Angle for Publicity
Hollywood’s actors strike prohibits overt publicity to support movies and TV shows, which hurts boxoffice and TV program launches that would otherwise get a lift from plugs by star talent. The New York Post detects that A-listers, hamstrung by union no-work mandates, are now angling to indirectly “stay in the public eye — and in the minds of Emmy and Oscar voters — through … [Read more...] about Striking Actors Angle for Publicity
Swift, Beyoncé Bounced From Oscars
The upcoming Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concert theatrical films shape up as cinema blockbusters, but neither is expected to be eligible for Oscar consideration under current Academy Awards rules, according to a Variety story. The problem is these are self-made films crossing a line into self-promotion, and not from independent documentarians. Both concert films fall into the … [Read more...] about Swift, Beyoncé Bounced From Oscars
Netflix Film Gets ‘Nose’-ticed
The Netflix-produced movie about composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein is getting unexpected publicity because of star Bradley Cooper’s prominent prosthetic nose in its trailer. Cooper portrays the late Bernstein in “Maestro,” which is also the actor’s second time as a director. He also co-wrote the film. Critics snipe that the large nose is an antisemitic swipe since it's … [Read more...] about Netflix Film Gets ‘Nose’-ticed